“Now, just hold up there, Morgan. My wife and I have many more houses to see today. You don’t expect us to fall in love with the first one we go to, do you?”
Her head falls back in laughter.
“How about we take a tour, and then you can tell me if you don’t love it? I will have to warn you, though. I have more clients lined up today to have the same tour. This home has only been on the market for less than a week and is in high demand. I wouldn’t be surprised if I got a few offers before the day’s end.”
“I’m not worried. In fact, play your cards right, and you might just get an offer from us higher than the asking price. I’m sure that the number I’m thinking would blow the competition out of the water. If my wife says this is the home she wants, then this is the home she gets. Money is no object.”
“A man who knows what he wants. Your wife is one lucky lady,” Morgan coos, her hungry eyes scanning me from top to bottom with a newfound appreciation now that she knows how deep my pockets are.
“Yes, I am,” Rosa chimes in, throwing daggers at the agent, not one bit impressed this woman is brazenly flirting with her fake husband.
I tilt Rosa’s chin to the side and gently caress her face.
“As am I,” I whisper, placing a small kiss to the tip of her nose.
Her gaze turns soft, and her body begins to melt into my embrace, almost as if she’s forgotten that this is just a game and that I’m not really her husband.
If only I were.
I would treat her like the fucking queen she is.
Not a whore to be passed around between my men.
When the real estate agent clears her throat, it’s enough to break the little spell Rosa and I were momentarily under.
“How about I show you around then?”
Rosa pulls away from my embrace and offers the woman a thin smile.
“Yes. Please.”
“Very well, let’s go in.”
For the next half hour, Morgan shows us around the large estate, talking about original crown molding and marble kitchen counters that came all the way from Italy. I zone her out for most of her babble and focus on the siren that gracefully walks around each room, completely spellbound by the home. The way her body moves and glides around every room makes me feel like I’m watching a beautiful dance taking place right in front of my eyes. And when we go upstairs so Morgan can show us the nursery, that’s when Rosa really swoons and shines.
“This home is perfect to raise a family. A large one at that,” Tracy adds when she sees how in love with the room Rosa is. “Are you expecting?”
“I’m not sure yet. But hopefully I will be soon,” Rosa explains, still eyeing the room like it’s some fairytale wonderland she just stepped inside.
“How about I leave you and your husband for a few minutes so you can fully appreciate the room? Maybe even talk about making that offer we discussed earlier?” Morgan adds shamelessly.
After the infuriating woman leaves us alone, I stare at my brother’s wife, wondering if my suspicions about her wanting a baby so bad are on the mark.
“Can I ask you a question?”
She hums absentmindedly, enthralled with her surroundings as if picturing in her mind where she would put the crib or bassinet. I bet she even has the color scheme down to a T.
“Why do you want a baby so bad? I mean, is this degradation Tiernan is putting you through really worth it?”
She chews on my question and then breathes out a yes.
“Why?”
“You want the truth?”
I nod.
“At first I thought a baby would be the ticket to my freedom. That maybe by having a child, I would gain Tiernan’s respect. That he would allow me to live in a home like this one to raise his children and let me have a life of my own without too much of his interference or presence.”
She sighs.
“But I was lying to myself, Shay. I now know the real reason why I want a baby so much. I need love in my life. Unconditional and pure,” she explains, looking straight at me, ensuring she kills me with the sadness mixed with hope in her eyes.
“When I left my home to move here, I knew all that was waiting for me was a life full of hatred and resentment. I can’t live like that, Shay. I need to love something, someone, and be loved in return. Having a baby from my body, from my blood, will ensure that at least I’ll have one pure thing in my life. Someone I can be totally devoted to, and who, in turn, will love me back with all their heart. The closest I’ve ever come to that type of love was the affection I felt for my baby brother, Francesco.”